Title IX

The Palo Verde Community College District is committed to a safe and equitable learning environment for all students. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in its educational programs. We encourage students to report any incident, including but not limited to sex discrimination or harassment, rape, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking committed on district property, at a district sponsored event or activity, or off-campus if it has continuing on-campus effects, directly to the Title IX Coordinator.

What is Title IX?

"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

Examples of the types of conduct that could violate Title IX include, but are not limited to:

Pressure for sexual activity

Dating or domestic violence

Sexual innuendos and comments

Sexually explicit questions

Requests for sexual favors

Unwelcome touching, hugging, stroking, squeezing

Spreading rumors about a person's sexuality

Sexual ridicule

Displaying or sending sexually suggestive electronic content, including but not limited to emails, text messages, etc.

Pervasive displays of pictures, calendars, cartoons, or other materials with sexually explicit or graphic content

Stalking a person

Attempted or actual sexual violence

In order to be prohibited under Title IX, conduct must be based on sex or gender AND it must be severe or pervasive. So, for example, a single sexually explicit question may not constitute conduct prohibited by Title IX, but pervasive sexually explicit questioning probably will. In contrast, a single attempted sexual assault almost certainly will.

What is Consent?

Law defines consent as the affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. Silence, lack of protest, or lack of resistance do not mean consent, nor is the existence of a dating relationship or past sexual relationship by itself an indicator of consent.

Emmeline May authored a very simple, yet useful metaphor that help explains consent using a cup of tea.
If they are unconscious, don't make them tea. Unconscious people can't answer the question, "Do you want tea?" because they are unconscious.

Simple isn't it? Please watch this video using Emmeline May's "Cup of Tea" example to help explain what consent is.

District Policies

For District policies and procedures pertaining to discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, student rights, responsibilities and code of conduct, as well as student discipline, click on the links below: